'-/ 


[House  Bill,  No.  214.] 


HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  November  18,  1864— Road 
first  and  second  times,  and  referred  to  the  Committee  on  thi^  Judi- 
ciary. November  22,  1864.— R'^ported  back  Tivorably.  November 
26    1864  — Amended,  engrossed,  read  a  third  time,  and  passed. 

A.  R.  LAMAR,  Clerk. 

SENATE,  November  30,  1864.— Read  first  and  second  times,  and 
referred  to  the  Committee  on  the  Judiciary.  December  8,  1864. — 
Reported  with  an  amendment,  and  bill  and  amendment  ordered  to  be 
printed. 


A.  J5ILL 

To  define  and  punish  conspiracy  against  the  Confederate  States. 

1  Section.    1.   T/ie  Congress  cf  the  Confederate  Slates  of  America  do 

t  enact,  That  if  two  or  more  persons  within  any  State  or  Territory 

3  of  the  Confederate  States  shall,  with  intent  to  injure  the   Con- 

4  federate  States,  conspire  to  subvert,  overturn,  or  destroy  by 

5  force,  the  Government  of  the  Confederate  States,  or  to  oppose, 

6  by  force,  the  execution  of  any  law  of  the  Confederate  States,  or, 

7  by  force,  to  hinder,  delay,  or'  prevent  the  execution  of  any   law 

8  of  the  Confederate  States,  or  to  seize,  take,  possess,  or  destroy 

9  any  property  of  the  Confederate  States,  against  its  consent,  or  to 

10  prevent,  delay  or  hinder,  by  force  or  fraud,  the  transportation 

11  of  supplies  of  men  to,  or  belonging  to,  the  army  of  the  Confed- 

12  or  (<<»   Statpq.  or  to  destroy  or  injure  any  road,  boat,  engine  or 


IS  work   employed  in   sack  transpjrtation,  or  to   hoM  any   secret 

14  communication  or  intercourse  with  an  enemy  of  the  Confederate 

15  States,  or  to  aid  or  abet  the  enemy  in  his  war  upon  tbe  Confed- 

16  erate  States,  or  persons  in    rebellion    against  the   same,  or   to 

17  promote  disobedience  of  lawful  military  orders,  mutiny  or  deser- 

18  tion,  or  unauthorized  absence,  in  the  army  of  the  Confederate 

19  States,  or  among  the  soldiers  in  the  military  service,  each  and 

20  every  person  so  oflfending  shall  be  guihy  of  a  high  crime,  and, 

21  upon  conviction  thereof,  shall  be  punished  by  fine  not  exceeding 

22  five  thousand  dollars,  and  shall  be  impiisoned,  with  or  without 

23  labor,   not  exceeding  five  years :    Provided,    That    for  offences 

24  under  this  law,  persons  who  belong  to  the  army  or  navy,  or  per- 

25  sons  connected  with  the  military  service,  shall  be  tried  by  a  mil- 

26  itary    court    or    court-martial,  and   citizens   shall   be   tried   by 

27  indictment  or   presentment,   giving   them  the   right  of  a  jury 

28  trial. 


AMENDMENT 

Proposed  by  the  Committee  on  the  Judiciary  to  the  bill  (H.  E,.  214) 

to  define  and  punish  conspiracy  against  the  Confederate  States. 

1  Strike  out  the  proviso  in  the  bill,  and  in  lieu  thereof  insert  as 

2  follows  :   Provided,  That  any  person  charged  with   any  offence 

3  mentioned  in  this  act,  if  such  person  be  in  the  military  or  naval 

4  service  of   the  Confederate  States,  may  be  tried  by  a  military 


s 

5  court   or    court-martial,  and,  if  found  guilty,  shall  be  punished 

G  by   fine   and   imprisonment,   as  hereinbefore  provided,   or  such 

7  other   punishment,  not  capital,  as  the  court  shall  adjudge  ;  and 

8  if  the  person  charged  bo  not  in  the  military  or  naval   service  aa 

9  aforesaid,  such  person  shall  be  tried  in  the  District  Court  of  the 
Jli  Confederate  States  for  the  proper  district. 


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fen 


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